144 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



under glass and entirely devoted to the growing of palm trees, 

 about three-fifths of which are shipped to this country. 



AMERICAN PLANTS IN ENGLAND. 

 The great American plant, the rhododendron, has been thor- 

 oughly acclimated and made at home in most parts of middle 

 Europe and in Britain. I suppose the finest plants I ever saw 

 were in the county of Surrey where this picture was taken. 

 The cottages occupied by the common people, while unimpres- 

 sive architecturally, are nearly always attractive from the stand- 

 point of plant decoration. They have been dressed up. 



HOLLAND. 

 In the canal region of Holland ornamental trees are grown 

 more extensively and are more intensely cultivated than any 

 place I know of. These little areas, small patches of land, are 

 divided by canals. The soil here is only a foot or so above 

 water level and is all made soil that has been thrown up from 

 the ditches in the construction of the canals. These canals are 

 cleaned out twice a year, and the amount of water plants, etc., 

 secured from them have an important influence on fertilizing 

 the ground. They throw the water plants into piles. It is 

 splendid for the soil but hard for the people around because the 

 odor they evolve is not altogether pleasant. It reminds one of 

 what the epitaph said about Mary Ann who had rather a short 

 temper : 



" Here lies Mary Ann 



Who has gone to the bosom of Abraham. 



It is first rate for Mary Ann 



But a trifle hard on Abraham." 



The windmill, of course, is a characteristic feature of the 

 Holland and Belgium landscape ; the water way is their line 

 of communication. 



Colorado blue spruce are grown extensively in that region. 

 Now we grow them by the thousands and by the acres, but you 

 find very few of our nurserymen setting a stake to each plant 

 and carefully tying the leader to that stake so that the plant 

 will be perfectly upright. This illustrates the different methods 

 practised by the careful European nurserymen. 



